Month: June 2015

On Monday, June 29th, I decided I wanted return to the Finger Lakes Trail to hike the middle section of map 19 which is the next map to the west of my completed sections. This section starts at the intersection of Purvis Road and Route 38 just south of Dryden Lake and continues for a little over 18 miles west to Carson Road to the beginning of map 20. Of course, the problem is that I usually have to hike both ways as I have no ride back from the end point. This means hiking, for example, hiking 12 miles to get a 6 mile section of trail. On many hikes I have used other trails of road walks to avoid a strict out-and-back which can be extremely boring! I checked the weather forecast when I got up and decided that it should be only cloudy and not raining by the time I started my hike at around 10:00 AM. Continue reading →

The week of June 28th began with a warm but rainy Sunday it showers often and on throughout the day. The forecast for Monday was for clearing skies but heavy fog, drizzle and rain showers persisted throughout the day. Tuesday was cooler with rain showers throughout the day. There was some heavy rain at times with clearing skies for the evening. Wednesday’s forecast calls for thunderstorms in the morning, afternoon and evening with periods of cloudy skies betweeThursday Thursday the skies will clear so that some sun will shine through. Temperatures will be in the low 70’s. For Friday and Saturday expect more of the same with partially sunny skies and temperatures rising into the high 70’s for the Fourth of July on Saturday. Sunscreen and insect repellant would be a good addition to your pack. Keep hydrated since you will be able to hiker longer and in greater comfort. Once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Remember, the weather forecast is only a prediction and always contains percentages. Be prepared and have a plan for the most likely and least likely forecast! Are you prepared to stay out overnight on a trail? Conditions in the morning can change drastically by afternoon. Conditions at the trailhead do not always reflect the conditions on the peaks! Variable trail and weather conditions are a hallmark of these mountains. BE CAREFUL AND BE PREPARED!

On Friday, June 26th, I met Ian Dunn, the DEC Region 3 Forester, at the Frick Pond trailhead at the end of Beech Mountain Road at 10:00 AM. When Sheila and I arrived Ian’s truck was already parked and Ian was walking toward us. I had communicated some of the things we wanted to do at Frick Pond and Ian had responded to each point. Our goal is still to make the loop around the pond as accessible to novice hikers as possible. Ian had let me know that some of the changes we had proposed were not compatible with the DEC management plan for a wild forest. Ian and I decided to hike the loop to see what steps could be taken that are allowed under the plan. It had rained the day before so this was a perfect time to look at the water problems along the way. We walked out the Quick Lake Trail to the trail register where we turned left to head toward Frick Pond. The woods road was very wet and we both agreed that some ditching would help the problem. We stopped at Gravestone Junction and I showed Ian the sign that makes no sense at all. Ian agreed and took a picture to pass on so that a new sign that would help people understand destinations and differences. I showed Ian the wet area on the way to the pond. I had wanted to build a wooden walkway here but only the DEC is allowed to build so another solution is needed. Ian and I discussed stepping stones and corduroy to allow people to pass through this area without waterproof hiking boots. We continued across the bridge to the trail junction on the other side of the pond. Ian and I stayed to the right to take the Big Rock Trail around the back of the pond. We found one very wet area but hikers had already created a way to walk around this area. We agreed not to reroute the trail but to allow things to develop. We also found a culvert that had worked its way to the surface. Some dirt on either side will help make this easier to cross. I pointed out that some of the wooden causeways were loose and some were “floating” without a firm anchor. Ian said that it was permissible to nail down loose boards and use stones to support the always where water had eroded the ground beneath. As wee continued toward Times Square we found some wet areas that could be avoided by walking around them. These areas may be too low to drain but an attempt will be made to get rid of some of the water. We stopped at Times Square which was wet and muddy. Ian and I looked at the water draining from the Loggers Loop Trail and agreed that some ditching might direct the water to the culvert that runs under Times Square. Trimming some of the grass and weeds here would also help to direct people to the drier route. We turned right to follow the Loggers Loop Trail back to Gravestone Junction. We found several wet areas. These areas may benefit from some ditching or stepping stones or a combination of both. We walked back to the parking area and talked for some time. We parted company at about 11:30 AM. I found Ian to be very knowledgeable and willing to help. The information he gave me about trail maintenance in wild forest areas will be very useful.

On Monday, June 22nd, I decided I wanted return to the Finger Lakes Trail to hike the first section of map 19 which is the next map to the west of my completed sections. This section starts at the intersection of Purvis Road and Route 38 just south of Dryden Lake and continues for a little over 18 miles west to Carson Road to the beginning of map 20. Of course, the problem is that I usually have to hike both ways as I have no ride back from the end point. This means hiking, for example, hiking 12 miles to get a 6 mile section of trail. On many hikes I have used other trails of road walks to avoid a strict out-and-back which can be extremely boring! I decided to head west from Marathon on Route 221 and then go north on Route 38. Purvis Road is only 2.5 miles north of the intersection of Route 221 and Route 38. Continue reading →

The week of June 21st began with a hot and humid Sunday with plenty of sun and temperatures in the 70’s until about 4:00 PM when heavy rains showers started. The forecast for Monday is for less humid weather with temperatures in the low1 80’s and some sun and clouds. Tuesday may be a little warmer with sun in the morning and a threat of thunderstorms from 1:00 PM to evening. Wednesday and Thursday should be nice with lower temperatures in the 70’s and plenty of sun. The temperature drops into the mid 60’s on Friday and showers are again possible. Saturday will be partly sunny with a high in the low 70’s. Sunscreen and insect repellant would be a good addition to your pack. Keep hydrated since you will be able to hiker longer and in greater comfort. Once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Remember, the weather forecast is only a prediction and always contains percentages. Be prepared and have a plan for the most likely and least likely forecast! Are you prepared to stay out overnight on a trail? Conditions in the morning can change drastically by afternoon. Conditions at the trailhead do not always reflect the conditions on the peaks! Variable trail and weather conditions are a hallmark of these mountains. BE CAREFUL AND BE PREPARED!

On Friday, June 19th, I decided I wanted return to the Finger Lakes Trail to hike a section of the map 19 which is the next map to the west of my completed sections. This section starts at the intersection of Purvis Road and Route 38 just south of Dryden Lake and continues for a little over 18 miles west to Carson Road to the beginning of map 20. Of course, the problem is that I usually have to hike both ways as I have no ride back from the end point. This means hiking, for example, hiking 12 miles to get a 6 mile section of trail. On may hikes I have used other trails of road walks to avoid a strict out-and-back which can be extremely boring! I decided to head west from Marathon on Route 221 and then take Babcock Hollow Road north to Bleck Road. I could then hike the trail to Carson Road and decided whether to us another trail or local roads to return to the car. Continue reading →

On Wednesday, June 17th, I needed to get out after a week of track meets and rain. I decided that I was tired of the “local” spots and decided to head to the Neversink Unique Area to hike the loop to Denton and Mullet Falls. I thought that the recent rain might have augmented these waterfalls making them more interesting. I got my equipment ready, put Sheila in the back seat and left Livingston Manor just after around 8:00 AM. Sheila was certainly anxious to get out as both she and I prefer several hikes a week! The temperature was already in the high 60’s and I anticipated it going even higher. The humidity wasn’t as bad as over the previous few days but was still uncomfortable. I wore a light long-sleeved top and was prepared for bitch insects with several different repellant. Continue reading →

The week of June 14th began with a hot and humid Sunday with plenty of sun and temperatures in the 80’s. The skies were blue but began to cloud over as a front approached. The forecast called for heavy rains and thunderstorms which had not developed by 9:00 PM. The forecast for Monday and Tuesday calls for rain both days with temperatures in the high 70’s. The weather clears on Wednesday with a high in the mid 70’s and no thereat of rain. The temperature on Thursday stays in the 70’s but there is a chance of thunderstorms. Friday and Saturday appear to be rain-free with temperatures in the mid to high 80’s. Sunscreen and insect repellant would be a good addition to your pack. Keep hydrated since you will be able to hiker longer and in greater comfort. Once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Remember, the weather forecast is only a prediction and always contains percentages. Be prepared and have a plan for the most likely and least likely forecast! Are you prepared to stay out overnight on a trail? Conditions in the morning can change drastically by afternoon. Conditions at the trailhead do not always reflect the conditions on the peaks! Variable trail and weather conditions are a hallmark of these mountains. BE CAREFUL AND BE PREPARED!

On Wednesday, June 10th, the had stopped in the early morning but I had plans which did not include hiking. Lisa sent me an early email asking if I would like to hike and it sounded like a good idea. We decided to go to the Frick Pond area and hike up the Big Rock Trail to get some “up” into our hike. We agreed to meet at the caboose near the ramps to Route 17 and 8:30 AM. We both arrived on time and Lisa got into my car with her gear. Sheila said “Hello” much too enthusiastically as I drove out the Debreuce Road. I turned left on Mongaup Road and stayed to the left where Beech Mountain Road splits off. I parked in the smaller lot and was not surprised that we were the only hikers since it was before 9:00 AM. We started our hike at 8:50 AM by walking out of the back of the larger parking area on the Quick Lake Trail. Continue reading →

The week of June 7th began with a bright and sunny Sunday with temperatures in the low 70’s. The skies were blue with only a few wispy clouds and relatively low humidity. The clouds should begin to roll in Sunday night. Monday’s forecast includes clouds throughout the morning with a chance of showers and temperatures in the mid 70’s. By Monday afternoon thunderstorms are expected and some could be heavy. Showers will linger on Tuesday but there will be some sun as the temperature rises a few degrees. Wednesday should be sunny with no rain and temperatures in the high 70’s. By Thursday expect to see 80’s but showers return although they should be intermittent. Friday the temperatures should be in the low 80’s with sun. Saturday it will be cloudy in the morning with showers in the afternoon. Sunscreen and insect repellant would be a good addition to your pack. Keep hydrated since you will be able to hiker longer and in greater comfort. Once you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Remember, the weather forecast is only a prediction and always contains percentages. Be prepared and have a plan for the most likely and least likely forecast! Are you prepared to stay out overnight on a trail? Conditions in the morning can change drastically by afternoon. Conditions at the trailhead do not always reflect the conditions on the peaks! Variable trail and weather conditions are a hallmark of these mountains. BE CAREFUL AND BE PREPARED!